The Best Portable PA Systems, Tested and Reviewed [2025]

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Portability can be hugely important when it comes to live sound equipment. If you’re an artist, musician, or public speaker who’s ever been responsible for providing your own live sound, you know this. It’s great to play in venues that have a kickass live sound system built in and ready to go. But for many of us, that’s not always the case.

You've got to be ready to perform whenever, wherever the road takes you. So buskers, DIY bands, house show hosts, traveling singer/songwriters, comedians—listen up. The best portable PA system you’ve been looking for is right here waiting for you. 

Whether you value maximum portability, sound quality, effects capabilities, or budget-friendliness, this guide will steer you towards picking out the portable PA system you’ve been searching for to join you in your life as an itinerant musician, pop-up artist, freelance KJ, corporate event coordinator, etc.—you get it.

Why Trust Me?

I’m a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years of professional experience under my belt. The very first shows I ever played were guerilla pop-up affairs in friends’ backyards and the like (we were only in our mid-teens, after all, and this was the early 2000s), and so, fittingly, portable PAs were what made my first gigs possible (specifically a Fender Passport just like this one—ah, memories).

My colleagues and I at American Songwriter tested and reviewed many of these PA systems individually, assessing them for various use cases and pushing them to their limits to get the lay of the land.

The portable PAs featured on this list were mostly selected with solo or duo artists in mind. For the most part, I valued portability over features, choosing instead to promote products that I think provide the best sound-to-portability ratio. 

But, that being said, there are a range of products here—from relatively simple, great-sounding boxes like the Bose S1 Pro+, to all-in-one column PA systems like the IRX ONE, to more technologically advanced systems like the Positive Grid Spark Edge.

The Best Portable PA Systems

1. Best Portable PA System Overall - Bose S1 Pro+

SPECS

• Weight: 15.7 lbs.
• Total Power: 150W
• Speaker Drivers: 1 x 6" LF High Excursion woofer, 3 x 2.25" HF drivers
• Effects: Reverb
• Power Source: Rechargeable battery or AC cable

If you’re looking for the most portable, most versatile, most user-friendly, or most affordable personal PA on the market… You’ve found it. That’s right, the Bose S1 Pro+ is all of these things. 

Weighing in at only 14 lbs and operable by a factory-installed Lithium Ion battery that will give you up to 11 hours of use, it’s as portable as it gets. You can even purchase a backpack-style carrying case to tote it around in. But there’s a comfortable carrying handle on top as well.

The S1 Pro is versatile—it be configured in a number of ways, including seated, stand-mounted, or tilted (it makes a great wedge monitor). It’s got two channels with independent reverb and EQ on each, as well as a handy third input that’s dedicated to aux in (karaoke, anyone?) and it’s Bluetooth-compatible as well. You can even go fully wireless with optional transmitters (not included). Finally, guitarists can make use of the onboard FX loop to make the S1 Pro a vocal PA + guitar amp all in one.

The integrated OLED screens make it easy to use—simply view and configure your settings at a glance. It’s also super easy to dial in great sounds with the ToneMatch feature, which allows you to automatically configure an ideal tone for vocals or guitar. And of course, it wouldn’t make a best-of list in 2025 if there wasn’t an app you can sync to in order to control your settings remotely from your phone.

And the kicker here is the price—you get all these features and more for way under a grand. Solo performers, take note—the Bose S1 pro is absolutely the road dog you’ve been looking for.

Still not sold? Read our full Bose S1 Pro review to learn more.

What Could Be Improved

• Not ideal if you're seeking a column setup
• The one thing it's not? The most powerful. Keep reading to find something a bit stronger.

2. Best Portable Column PA - JBL IRX ONE

SPECS

• Weight: 34.1 lbs.
• Total Power: 1300W Peak Power
• Speaker Drivers: 1 x 8" LF, 6 x 2" HF
• Power Source: AC Cable

Featuring a user-friendly, less-is-more interface, all the connectivity options one could ever need, and an ingenious design that allows the entire unit to be easily carried with one hand, the JBL IRX ONE is the perfect solution for gigging musicians, public speakers, houses of worship, and more.

IRX ONE delivers incredible value with a highly functional, thoughtful, and efficient design that ensures no space is wasted. Unpacking and packing the components is a breeze, as is dialing in your sound on the less-is-more 3-channel mixer. This is a PA system that knows its job and does it well.

Intuitively designed for easy setup, IRX ONE assembles in seconds. Then, simply plug in, dial in your gain and input level, select from one of the five EQ presets, and you’re off to the races. Plus, its combination of custom-tuned column-mounted drivers with an advanced 8” woofer delivers a rich, powerful sound courtesy of JBL’s time-tested audio engineering.

The powered mixer section of IRX ONE was designed to be just as versatile as it is easy to use. It features three identical input strips, each with simple but useful controls: gain, level, and a 2-band EQ. It’s a breeze to plug your microphone or instrument into the corresponding XLR/1/4” combo jack and get a clean signal right away.

One of my favorite features, though, is the EQ Preset knob that allows you to instantly dial in the right sound profile based on your needs. You can choose from “Flat,” “Bright,” “Cafe,” “DJ,” and more, and rest assured that you have a solid starting point to find the perfect parameters for whatever your application may be.

Check out my full review of the JBL IRX ONE to learn more.

What Could Be Improved

• Some onboard effects would be nice

3. Best for Easy Setup - Yamaha STAGEPAS 1K mkII

SPECS

• Weight: 50.7 lbs
• Total Power: 1100W, Class D
• Speaker Drivers: 1 x 12" LF, 10 x 1.5" HF
• Effects: SPX Digital Reverb
• Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable

Sometimes quick setup and teardown can make or break a live music situation (anyone who's had a DIY gig shut down by the cops knows this much). And so having a portable PA that's easy to assemble and break down can come in really clutch.

The Yamaha STAGEPAS 1k is our pick for the easiest to setup for a simple reason—when our reviewer Andy McDonough tested it, he raved, "You can set this system up, from protected in its heavy-duty bag to sound check, in about 30 seconds. No kidding. Because the mixer is built in the base and the other column sections plug together, there is only a power cable to the wall and you are done."

What's more, the STAGEPAS is versatile and powerful, with an onboard digital mixer that features an easy-to-use one-knob EQ for each channel, pre-loaded settings for "music," "speech," and more, and a great-sounding onboard reverb. It's got 1100W of Class D power, which might even be overkill for some situations, but will see you through solo and smaller full-band setups no problem.

In his Yamaha STAGEPAS review, Andy found that "the well-designed J-curve line array of 10 small-diameter (1.5”) speakers hidden in the column that are supported by the system’s 12” subwoofer... effectively cover an impressive frequency range, but also covers an equally impressive 170° horizontal and 30° vertical coverage area that directs high-quality sound out into the room exactly where you need it."

What Could Be Improved

• At 50 lbs, it's pretty heavy

4. Best Portable PA Under $500 - Positive Grid Spark Edge

SPECS

• Weight: 13.66 lbs
• Output Power: 65W
• Effects: 50 x effects
• Amp Modeling: 36 x amp models
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, MIDI, Headphones
• Power Source: 20V DC 3.25A Power Supply (included), Spark Battery (sold separately)

Positive Grid makes some of my favorite guitar tools (toys?) for playing around with different effects and generally just having a blast—and now they've added a portable PA/guitar amp combo to their lineup. The Spark Edge features the same versatile connectivity, app integration, and FX capabilities as their Spark line of guitar amps, but adjusted to accommodate vocals, acoustic guitar, keys, and more.

With four channels that are individually adjustable (using either onboard controls/presets or the Spark app), you can accommodate a small group of musicians and vocalists to an exacting degree of granularity. Connect via Bluetooth to provide backing tracks and more, or even use the built-in 60-second looper to build out your own jam tracks.

While 65 watts is not enough power to fill most venues, the 120-degree sonic spread makes the most of it. Designed with buskers and jam sessions in mind, the Spark Edge is less a PA and more an all-around Swiss Army knife for portable, versatile sessions. At just 13 lbs and with an optional rechargeable battery, you can take the music anywhere.

The kicker? It retails for under 500 bucks. PA, guitar amp, virtually limitless effects—need I say more?

What Could Be Improved

• Avoid if you're not particularly tech-savvy

5. Most Versatile Portable PA - Mackie Showbox

SPECS

• Weight: 21 lbs.
• Total Power: 400W
• Power Source: AC Power, Battery Power

The Mackie Showbox is a versatile portable PA with an impressive list of features that comes at an approachable price, making it another great pick for buskers who need portability plus versatility.

What looks like your run-of-the-mill wedge monitor at first glance is revealed to be a wonder of versatility when you clock the breakaway controller, which transforms the Showbox into a fully operable standalone PA unit that you can control without even leaving your place onstage.

There's an autogain feature that allows you to quickly dial in your sound. If you’ve ever performed outdoors, you know how finicky PAs can be when it comes to feedback issues. The Showbox’s outdoor mode and feedback eliminator take care of those issues.

Bluetooth connectivity is another huge feature the Mackie Showbox brings to the table. You can stream music directly from your phone or computer, adding another layer of crisp and clear sound to your performance. And at just 21 lbs., this system is also one of the lightest on our list.

If you're looking for a reliable PA system that can just about do it all, look no further than the Mackie Showbox. It comes in at a great price, has a list of features I could go on about for pages, and has some of the best sound quality around. Check out our dedicated Mackie Showbox review to learn more.

What Could Be Improved

• Not a ton of power

6. Best Battery-Powered PA - JBL EON ONE

SPECS

• Weight: 17.63 lbs.
• Total Power: 150W
• Power Source: AC Cable, Rechargeable Battery

If you're worried about having a long-lasting battery life for your monitoring system, the JBL EON ONE could be the PA system for you. It comes with a reliable 12-hour rechargeable battery so you can use it for multiple gigs without having to charge it.

This system is great for live music as well, with 48V of phantom power for a wired microphone. The EON One also weighs an impressive 17.6 lbs., making it one of the lightest and most portable options on our list today.

The EON ONE is one of the most popular portable PA speakers around for a reason. Well, for several reasons as it can compete with almost every speaker on this list at a fraction of the price. It even has more channels than some of our other systems, giving it an edge in more categories than one.

The JBL EON One comes equipped to handle the JBL App, allowing you to customize your listening experience from your phone. With Bluetooth connectivity, you can stream music from your favorite apps directly through your speaker.

We love that the JBL EON One has a rechargeable, 12-hour battery, deep bass, and a carrying handle. This battery-powered beast can turn your next coffee shop performance into a full-blown concert no barista would want to miss.

What Could Be Improved

• Not super powerful

7. Best for Reliability - Electro Voice Evolve 50

SPECS

• Weight: 57.75 lbs.
• Total Power: 1,000W
• Power Source: AC Cable

The Electro Voice Evolve 50 is a powerhouse of a portable PA system that still gives you a clear sound no matter the environment you put it in. With three component speakers and eight column-arrayed 3.5" neodymium drivers, the Evolve 50 is one of the best PA systems out there.

While some may be intimidated by setting up this behemoth of a speaker, you don't have to be. Electro Voice made it a breeze with its streamlined single-knob interface. I love that you can also remote control the Evolve 50 with your mobile device to stream audio straight from your phone or tablet.

The Electro Voice Evolve 50 comes with a powerful onboard processing engine that can assist you and your DJ set with its four presets. It is also Bluetooth enabled, comes with phantom power, and has its own three-band EQ for further control.

The Evolve 50 from Electro Voice is a great option for anyone who wants to connect as many performers to one system at once. The Mackie Showbox may get outshone by the Evolve 50 in this category as the 50 comes with 8 mic inputs and can be connected to another Evolve speaker for even more stereo RCA inputs.

If you're in the market for the Goliath of portable PA systems, the Electro Voice Evolve 50 may be the PA system for you. It's one of the best portable PA systems around thanks to its easy setup, remote control capability, and impressive waveguides to ensure everyone in the room can hear.

What Could Be Improved

• At nearly 60 lbs., this portable PA speaker system could be much lighter

The Verdict

It's hard to pick a best portable PA overall because individual use cases can vary widely. But if pressed, I would pick the Bose S1 Pro+. This is mainly because I think portability is a more heavily weighted factor here than power—and what the S1 Pro+ lacks in power, it makes up for in portability, features, and affordability. (And if it's a column you're looking for, you can't do better than the JBL IRX ONE for the money.)